For investors looking for high dividend yields, you still can’t do any better than real estate investment trusts (REITs). Created by Congress to allow regular Joes the ability to own commercial real estate properties, the corporate tax-structure requires that REITs kick out much of their profits back to shareholders as juicy dividends. And there are REITs that cover every spectrum of the real estate market, from apartment buildings to shopping malls.
And with various positive factors — like rising M&A, continue baby-boomer downsizing and the rise of deed-restricted communities — self-storage REITs are poised to keep on growing into the future. For investors, the sector could be one of the best places to store their cash. Here are three of the best players: Public Storage (PSA), Extra Space Storage (EXR) and Sovran Self Storage (SSS).